COMMAS

by Emily Chhun, Kizzie Foster , Maria

Terrazas
 IN GENERAL WHAT IS A COMMA?
A natural pause, but more than a pause.
• Use after four or more introductory words.
Example: After flying on the airplane, she got sick.

•Use a comma before to indicate the beginning and one at the end to
indicate the end of the pause.
Example 1: That Friday, on the long airplane ride, she got sick.

Separation in lists or numbers.

Example 1: Be sure to pack the following items: shirts, pants, shirts, pajamas,
and toiletries.
 LISTING THREE ITEMS OR
MORE
Keep list content consistent when using commas.

ords:
• Good example: I am interested in
• Bad example: I am interested
becoming a pilot, engineer, or an astronaut. in becoming a private pilot,
engineer, or an astronaut
who lands on Mars.

hrases: • Bad example: Becoming a

• Good example: Becoming a private pilot private pilot will allow me to
will allow me to travel the world, learn travel, learn about new
about new cultures, and see new people. cultures, and see new people.
 LISTING THREE ITEMS OR
MORE
Keep list content consistent when using commas.

lauses:
• Good example: During the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, 500
million people worldwide watched the event, the president had a
speech ready in case of disaster, and the trip cost about $150
billion.
 LISTING THREE ITEMS OR
MORE
SEMICOLON EXCEPTIONS
When items in a series have internal commas.
Exa
mple: The top most visited places in the world include Paris, France; Barcelona, Spain; and New York City, New York.

Exa
 Linking
mple: independent
Heavy rains caused turbulence scaringclauses (no
the passengers; connecting
assurance words).
came from the pilot who told the passengers they
would be landing soon.
 CONJOINING CONJUNCTIONS
Use a comma before conjoining conjunctions: and, but, for, nor, or
,yet, or so to separate clauses.
Good example:
*The space mission was over, but discovery had just begun.
Bad examples:
*The space mission was over but, discovery had just begun.
*In the ’60s the space mission brought nationalism to Americans, and brought a
halt to the space race. (Not two separate independent clauses.)
Additional words to use a comma before: when, while, since, yes, well, and,
however.

Good example: The space mission was over, however discovery had just begun .
 SEPARATING ADJECTIVES TO
MODIFY THE NOUN

The adjectives ____ and ____modify the noun____.

Separate the adjectives with a comma.

Good
example:

The new
school policies imposed strict, unforgiving rules on dress code.

Bad
example:

The new
school policies imposed, rules on dress code.
CONFUSED?

ometimes using commas in

your writing is as easy as
using common sense.
Abusing the comma or not
using it at all can change the
meaning !
USE THE COMMA!
 MONTH, DATE, AND YEAR

se a comma after day and year when the date is formatted as month, day, and year in a sentence. Do not use ANY
commas if only the month and year are given.

ood example:
August 5, 1930, is when Neil Armstrong was born.

In July 2004 Neil Armstrong celebrated the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Apollo 11 flight.

ad example:

On July 21, 2004 Neil Armstrong celebrated the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Apollo 11 flight.

In July, 2004, Neil Armstrong celebrated the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Apollo 11 flight.
 COMMAS IN QUOTATIONS
comma is used in quotes to show a shift between the the main dialogue and the actual
quotation.
G
ood examples:
Ed
ward Rickenbacker said with emotion, “Aviation is proof that we have the capacity to achieve the impossible.”

“
Any landing you can walk away from," she answered, “is a good one.”

“I
wish I knew how to fly an airplane,” she explained. “Flying seems like more fun than driving.

Er
nest Hemingway said, “I wish I could write well enough to write about aircraft.”

-
Always put commas inside the quotation marks.
-
You can split up a quote as long as it is split in an appropriate place.
 LOCATION

ip code
• When writing an address, use commas to separate
EACH part of the address, including after the zip code.
NEVER put a comma between state and zip code.
Good example:
I have lived at 315 Aviation Street, Seattle, WA 98188, for ten
years.
SUBJECT AND VERB/VERB AND
OBJECT

comma shouldn’t separate a subject from its verb.

• Good example:
As my old friend and I ate lunch in the court yard, we caught up
and exchanged the latest 411.

• Bad example:
I, had lunch with a old friend today.
 PARALLEL SUBORDINATE
ELEMENTS

subordinate conjunction usually provides a closer connection between

clauses.

• Good example: Because I’m sweating, I have a towel.

• Bad example: I’m sweating, so I have a towel.

NOTE: The construction of this sentence is correct; however, the content doesn’t
flow as well and doesn’t give the true meaning.
 EXPRESSION OF CONTRAST

ommas help separate ideas between contrast.

• Good example: I want a banana, not an apple.
• Bad example: I want a banana not, an apple.
 NONRESTRICTIVE VS.
RESTRICTIVE
estrictive relative clause are not set by commas. “That” is used for restrictive
clauses, but NOT for people!!!
• Good example:
• My uncle who lives in Seattle works for Boeing. (no commas because the “who”
clause is important to know which uncle is being referred to.
• The book that I love the most is Green Eggs and Ham.

onrestrictive relative clause is set off by "which, who, whom, whose,"

• Good example: Mr. McNerney, who is president of Boeing, will be giving a speech
tonight.
• Bad example: Mr. McNerney who, is president of Boeing will, be giving a speech
tonight.
SET OFF ALTERNATIVE OR
CONTRASTING PHRASES

se commas to change the topic within a sentence.

• Good example:
• It is the Dreamliner 747, not the Airbus A308, that is being
tested.

o not use a comma between subject and verb.

 ACTIVITY

ow many commas should

each sentence have?
 SENTENCE #1

For my birthday I would like you

to purchase me a horse ranch and
hay.
 ANSWER…2

For my birthday, I would like you

to purchase me a horse, ranch,
and hay.
 SENTENCE #2

I was going to make rice but I

noticed that there wasn’t any rice
left in the rice dispenser and it
was quiet upsetting.
 ANSWER…2

I was going to make rice, but I

noticed that there wasn’t any rice
left in the rice dispenser, and it
was quiet upsetting.
 SENTENCE #3

I hope the sun comes out later

today!
 ANSWER…NONE!

I hope the sun comes out later today!

 SENTENCE #4
I didn't want our relationship to come to this point
but I don’t think things will work out because of
that hideous sweater you bought me for Christmas
and I don’t like the smell of your cologne.
 ANSWER…3!
I didn't want our relationship to come
to this point, but I don’t think things
will work out because of that hideous
sweater you bought me for Christmas,
and honestly, I don’t like the smell of
your cologne.
 CITATIONS

LA. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Vol. 7. New York: Modern Language
Association, 2009.

WL Purdue, Commas. Web. 26 Sept. 2011. <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/02/>.

et's Eat Grandpa! Photograph. Surrender Dorothy. Web. 24 Sept. 2011.

<http://surrenderdorothy.typepad.com/surrender_dorothy/2010/03/lets-eat-grandpa.html>.

et's Eat Grandpa! Photograph. Surrender Dorothy. Web. 24 Sept. 2011.

<http://surrenderdorothy.typepad.com/surrender_dorothy/2010/03/lets-eat-grandpa.html>.